A variety of container closures have been designed to accommodate opening of the closure by pulling or breaking a portion of a membrane across the container opening. While such closures may function generally satisfactorily in the applications for which they have been designed, it would be desirable to provide an improved dispensing system or dispensing structure which can be even more easily used.
Further, it would be advantageous if such an improved dispensing structure could accommodate the separate storage of an additive or ingredient for subsequent mixing with another material in the container.
Further, it would be beneficial if such improved dispensing structure could provide a readily releasable system for maintaining the structure in a sealed closed position and for providing evidence of tampering or evidence of an initiation of the closure opening process.
Additionally, it would be desirable to provide an improved closure that could, if desired, readily accommodate a design in which a frangible sealing system across the dispensing opening can be incorporated solely within a closure structure which is separate from the container to which the closure structure is attached. Advantageously, such a dispensing closure or dispensing structure should provide a very effective seal when the dispensing structure is closed (1) so as to avoid subjecting the material in the container (and/or the interior dispensing structure) to prolonged exposure to the ambient atmosphere, and (2) so as to prevent contamination of the materials within the container by preventing contaminant ingress.
Such an improved dispensing structure should also accommodate designs which permit incorporation of the dispensing structure as a unitary part, or extension, of the container and which also accommodate separate mounting of the dispensing structure on the container in a secure manner.
It would also be beneficial if such an improved dispensing structure could readily accommodate its manufacture from a variety of different materials.
Further, it would be desirable if such an improved dispensing structure could be provided with a design that would accommodate efficient, high-quality, large volume manufacturing techniques with a reduced product reject rate.
Preferably, the improved dispensing structure should also accommodate high-speed manufacturing techniques that produce products having consistent operating characteristics unit-to-unit with high reliability.
The present invention provides an improved dispensing structure which can accommodate designs having the above-discussed benefits and features.